Trolls in the Forest - A random event for use... Please comment...

[Chris090171]

Intro to Battle for General Use '" Trolls in the Forest


     'You sit on a log, sheltered from the gentle rain outside by a shallow cave. The fire, burning low, provides some warmth on this cold damp afternoon; you talk quietly amongst yourselves while you eat the rabbits that you caught earlier in the day, the steam slowly drifting off the meat, still on the spit upon which you roasted it. The forest sprawls in front of you, in an ever darkening depth of tree trunks and leaves, vines hanging like ropes waiting for your neck, waiting to take the breath from your lungs. As you begin to get that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach; that feeling that looms over you like the mist in the trees, you hear faint sounds drifting out of the darkness in front of you, sounds that get louder as you stare into the darkness'¦'


Wait for character reaction'¦


   'You ready yourself as the sounds rush toward you from the forest'¦ As you feel the tension in the air like electricity in a storm, a small herd of deer leap from the trees in front of you'¦'

   'Moments later, a group of trolls lunges out of the forest in pursuit of the deer, when they suddenly notice you and turn in your direction'¦'

[Steerpike]

A critique...[blockquote=Chris]you talk quietly amongst yourselves while you eat the rabbits that you caught earlier in the day[/blockquote]Personally, I'd avoid directly describing PC actions.[blockquote-ibid.]you hear faint sounds drifting out of the darkness in front of you, sounds that get louder as you stare into the darkness'¦'


Wait for character reaction'¦


'You ready yourself as the sounds rush toward you from the forest'¦ As you feel the tension in the air like electricity in a storm, a small herd of deer leap from the trees in front of you'¦'

'Moments later, a group of trolls lunges out of the forest in pursuit of the deer, when they suddenly notice you and turn in your direction'¦[/blockquote]I'd include a spot and listen DC.  Characters may also have Darkvision, so it seems quite possible that they'd spot the trolls before they attack.

The text also assumes that the players have made no attempt to conceal themselves (i.e. the trolls notice them).

Also, the balance between the description of the camp to build tension and the trolls themselves feels skewed.  I like describing monsters, so I tend to spend more time talking about them; you might prefer to get straight to the action.

[Chris090171]

Steerpike, I would agree with you that one would normally avoid describing direct PC actions, but in my current situation I am trying to teach new players to play.

I'm 37 and I'm teaching my 4 kids (ages 10-13) and my g/f to play, which is going well but it is somewhat daunting to get them to embelish or add their own 'flair' if you will, to the story as we go along...
They are used to playing video games and having the entire story and situation layed out before them, with only certain options available for a response or reaction. Presenting them with a game where almost anything is possible and with their only limitations being their imagination and whatever resources are laying around 'in game' is something they are slowly getting used to. However, on a good note, if I ask them if they want to play a session, they drop what they are doing and grab their character sheets...

Anyone with tips on getting the players to 'help' with the story feel free to post or email me... I've been playing since 6th grade but I've had about a 12 year hiatus when my daughter was born...

[Elemental_Elf]

I like the scene you set up, around the fire. Perhaps let the PCs interact a little, get a few lines prior to the big fight.

What are your plans post-battle? Obviously the PCs win (game wouldn't be fun otherwise) but what comes next?

[Chris090171]

Not sure... This was actually something that popped into my head at work... I'm an electrician and I was sitting in a small room eating lunch looking out at the woods through the rain and this scene just developed, so I wrote it down...

[Elemental_Elf]

Hmm, well why were the PCs in the forest to begin with? Were they traveling to a village on the other side, or perhaps they were on their way to explore an old ruin now hidden in the depths of this murky forest?

[Nomadic]

Steerpike, I would agree with you that one would normally avoid describing direct PC actions, but in my current situation I am trying to teach new players to play.

I'm 37 and I'm teaching my 4 kids (ages 10-13) and my g/f to play, which is going well but it is somewhat daunting to get them to embelish or add their own 'flair' if you will, to the story as we go along...
They are used to playing video games and having the entire story and situation layed out before them, with only certain options available for a response or reaction. Presenting them with a game where almost anything is possible and with their only limitations being their imagination and whatever resources are laying around 'in game' is something they are slowly getting used to. However, on a good note, if I ask them if they want to play a session, they drop what they are doing and grab their character sheets...

Anyone with tips on getting the players to 'help' with the story feel free to post or email me... I've been playing since 6th grade but I've had about a 12 year hiatus when my daughter was born...

The issue was that you posted this and didn't ask for any particular feedback so the only assumption that could be made was that this was a generic encounter setup. Steerpike's response is appropriate in that context and I personally still think it is valid as you don't have to have embellishment to make a scene work. Not to mention that if you encourage them to self-embellish it will be even more fun since they get more freedom with how their character reacts.

[Chris090171]

I actually agreed with him too... and it was just generic, but then I realized that other people's input could be useful in my teaching and DMing...